The sky’s the limit when it comes to growing fruit and veg, if B & Q’s nine metre high ‘edible tower’ at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show is anything to go by. With a living wall of sage, camomile and thyme, window boxes of tomatoes and nasturtiums and solar panels and a wind turbine, it certainly ticks all the ‘green’ boxes. But with the average show garden costing around £180,000, it’s not for everyone! Just as well then that B & Q has launched the Vertical Wall planter which will set you back just £10 (solar panels and wind turbine not included!)
Fellow allotmenteer Cleve West surprised the judges with his flowering parsnips in the Daily Telegraph garden, but they were obviously suitably impressed as they awarded him Best in Show. Well deserved, in my opinion, as the planting was beautiful. I can’t wait to get my hands on Dianthus cruentus before the garden centre shelves are cleared. During the Second World War, the Ministry of Food, developed a cartoon character called Dr. Carrot as part of an educational campaign to encourage people to eat healthily during rationing. Depicted carrying a medicine bag brimming over with Vitamin A, it showed just how nutritious this home grown veg really is. Good to see him getting another outing at Chelsea along with Potato Pete. Mustard Communications has also brought him back to life for a PR campaign for the British Carrot Growers' Association http://www.britishcarrots.co.uk/ |
Can’t understand why Bunny Guinness’s Kitchen Garden for the show’s main sponsor M & G Investments only got a Silver Gilt. I think she was robbed. Here’s hoping she gets the people’s vote. |
An idea to steal from the floristry marquee were retro handbags being used as hanging baskets. Making an appearance down on my allotment soon. A little beyond my capabilities was this South Pacific dress. Such a work of art! |
